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March 13, 2009 8:00 AM PDT

Friday Poll: Why did Apple shuffle the Shuffle like that?

by Matt Hickey
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News.com Poll

Shuffled logic
Why did Apple do the new Shuffle like that?

Jobs' hiatus means Ive can do what he wants
Apple hates buttons, all of them
We're one step closer to the mind-controlled future
Prep for next iPod: earbuds loaded with random music
Design should--and always will--outweigh functionality



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New iPod Shuffle (Credit: Apple)

This week Apple quietly released a new, redesigned version of the iPod Shuffle, and for the most part, we don't like it.

The previous version was great. It was small, usable, and cheap. Apple retained the small and cheap aspects but made, well, a nub. We're not even sure where you're supposed to put the thing, and we know we'd lose it the first day out. So the question is: why did Apple do the Shuffle that way?

With more than 15 years experience testing hardware (and being obsessed with it), Crave freelance writer Matt Hickey can tell the good gadgets from the great. He also has a keen eye for future technology trends. Matt has blogged for publications including TechCrunch, CrunchGear, and most recently, Gizmodo. E-mail Matt.
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Add a Comment (Log in or register) Showing 1 of 2 pages (59 Comments)
by carpevis March 13, 2009 9:07 AM PDT
While in general Apple products are well made, there have been several boondoggles which can only be placed in the 'what the hell were they THINKING???' department when it comes to design. The ill-conceived, silent Cube for example, relying on cooling by induction rather than fan (and that promptly burned up if the vents ever got blocked - take a look at your computer now and tell me every vent is clean). In their over-eager rush to be innovative, Apple has a long and storied history of often leaving common sense on the drawing board, opting instead for an 'exciting' design. But the people will decide if their latest gambit is worth it. Frankly, fishing for a button on a wire as an electronic voice coos in my ear what song or playlist I've just selected happens to be is horrifying and reminiscent of the vast number of times I've been told by the same electronic voice, "I didn't get that, will you please repeat your selection. You may say "Customer Service", "tech support" or "go to hell"." Looks like Apple's paving a road with good intentions but the destination is questionable.
Reply to this comment
by mmagliaro March 13, 2009 9:22 AM PDT
Just a comment on the Cube burning up. I didn't like the Cube, and I never bought one. But the notion of
building a silent fan-less machine was a good one. I still have a 1998 G3 desktop that has no fan,
and two old 1998 Wallstreet Powerbooks which have fans that never run (they have never EVER turned
on in all the years I've owned it, except at boot time, which is the only way I even know that they work!)
All these machines still see regular use every day and they have never suffered from not having fans
(in fact, they've never failed, period)

It is such a relief to have a silent fan-less machine. Sit in a living room for any length of time with a PC's
fans whirring in the background, and when you turn that machine off, there is such a drop in the
"din" and noise level, it's quite surprising.
by Dalmatian28 March 13, 2009 1:19 PM PDT
Ok...most of the things that you said in your comment is "right on the money". I just feel like you are giving Apple too much credit. The design mistakes in many Apple's products are receiving such a great reviews by media so it makes me wander when everyone will become objective and call it what it is: "well planed selfish greedy pile of crap" . This design has two purposes: milk customers for more money and eliminate competition. I home everyone remembers their desktop customization issue, laptop battery replacement issue, issue with chargers for iPhonei/iPad Touch, iTunes issue etc. I wander when will people get sick of this crap and say no to Apple. The only way to make them change is to hit them where it hurts....in their wallet! We need to show them who is really calling the shots so they stop pulling this kind of garbage on us customers!
by Seaspray0 March 13, 2009 4:42 PM PDT
@mmagliaro. Just like the mac, Some PC models are noisy and some PC models are not. You are wrong to assume they're all the same.
by ferdmani March 13, 2009 9:13 AM PDT
Has anyone noticed how like minded all media is? It's like watching the American Idol judges all agree with one another about a contestant. Apple is doing what Apple always does. Making differentiated products that stir controversy and in the end everyone buys it and loves it regardless of your media driven opinions. There was this great concept I heard once, what was it called? Oh I remember, THINKING FOR YOURSELF! This product has been out for 24 hours now and your complaint is that it's too small and you'll lose it? Your keys are pretty small, do you lose them? If something is important to you (I.E. an item or person) you probably will not lose it. Why don't you praise the company who created an even smaller player with more memory and a way for you to not have to look down at a screen while your running to find out what song is playing next. Oh yeah I forgot the media is based around complaining like little children and pointing out what's wrong with everything. I noticed it's helping our economy. Thanks. Change is scary I know.....
Reply to this comment
by airmikee March 13, 2009 9:20 AM PDT
Thank you for saying what no one else has the balls, or intelligence, to say, Ferdmani.

I know a few people that have already bought or ordered the new Shuffle. They want it to work out, and when they're working out, they don't care about buttons or controls. They want something light that'll strap to their arm and not get in the way, and that's exactly what the new Shuffle does.

I'd imagine that since a majority of the nerds, geeks, and general idiots that whine and complain about the new Shuffle hardly ever work out, and don't even know where their local gym is, that they can't connect to the style of thinking that led Apple to redesign the shuffle.

If you're worried about losing it, buy a Nano. If you want more control over the music, buy a Nano. If you don't want or need a Shuffle, or can't comprehend the reasons behind such a nifty device, please, shut up.
by xcopy March 13, 2009 9:21 AM PDT
"Apple is doing what Apple always does. Making differentiated products that stir controversy and in the end everyone buys it and loves it"

Apple has made so many clueless products that no one in their right mind really wants to use (fanboys/iSheep excepted of course, because they'll buy anything... absolutely anything). Only the iSheep think everything apple does is great; the rest of us deal in reality and recognize mediocrity when we see it...

I own 3 ipods but have been less and less impressed with each new release.. This is a "never buy" for me, and I'll bet millions of others will leave this turkey on the shelf..
by JeffKni March 13, 2009 11:39 AM PDT
Airmikee, your'er funny. Everybody should think for them selves and have the do-dads to speak up - unless they disagree with you then they shuld shut up.

I understand that in order to be innovative a company (Apple, in this case) must take risks and if you take enough risks there will be some ill-fated products. There?s no need to get hostile to us gym shunning geeks that don?t care for all of Apples SKU?s. You must be a share-holder.
by celticbrewer March 13, 2009 12:23 PM PDT
"Has anyone noticed how like minded all media is?"

Someone posts something and then 40 websites trying to get traffic to increase their click-through ad revenues copy the thing pretty much word-for-word. They slap stupider headlines on the title to grab the attention of trolls who post even more crahp and cause more traffic to come through. Generally, nothing of value comes out of it (just like this article) and people are divided into camps. Brilliant! So I might as well join in...

As for this- Yeah, music in the headphone itself seems the logical direction. I'm not sure why they just didn't do it instead of creating this dinky device.

The people who say "Design should--and always will--outweigh functionality" are probably the idiots that slap a wing and fart pipe on their slow-ass honda and think they're "fast and furious." Losers!
by ptgn123 March 14, 2009 4:21 AM PDT
Thank you very much. I actually want a shuffle now. You can actually pick what you want to listen to instead of just blindly skipping to what you want. My wife's 2 gig shuffle is mediocre compared to my 16 gig iphone, 16 gig nano, or 160 gig ipod classic.
by karport March 13, 2009 9:18 AM PDT
The cube was an evolutionary design from the original toaster Mac. What doomed the cube was the complaints by some of minor flaws in the clear plastic, the design however was great. Apple has always sold products based on gee wiz design, it is how Jobs saved the company when he came back with colors and flashy design at a premium price.

The new shuffle is would have been a home run if the control cord allowed for the plug in of 3rd party head phones. In terms of size smaller is better and if you have not lost your last 2 generation shuffles you won't lose this one.

Will look at it over the weekend at the apple emporium
Reply to this comment
by bingo9999 March 13, 2009 9:30 AM PDT
Don't you think polls should be fair and balanced? There is no option for someone who does not agree with your hopeless view of the new shuffle.
Reply to this comment
by Eludium-Q36 March 13, 2009 9:31 AM PDT
Jeez, lighten up everyone, there's too much "ownership" here. I just wonder why they stopped there, why not reduce it down to a lapel pin ?! That'd take care of the "I'm afraid I'll lose it" meme.
Reply to this comment
by BOTNET March 13, 2009 9:39 AM PDT
"The previous version was great. It was small, usable, and cheap. Apple retained the small and cheap aspects "

$80 is not cheap, no-screen no-button MP3 player should run for $40 (maybe $50)
Reply to this comment
by iPhoneUser March 13, 2009 10:47 AM PDT
$80 is cheap for an Apple device.
by iPhoneUser March 13, 2009 10:48 AM PDT
**edit to last post - the shuffle probably should be around $40-50, but thrown in the Apple tax and you're right at $80.
by boran2 March 13, 2009 10:07 AM PDT
Lost in all of the commotion is one likely reason for this design: it is cheaper to manufacture.
Reply to this comment
by jimmywho723 March 13, 2009 10:41 AM PDT
Two words: Proprietary headphones.
Reply to this comment
by surferstevo March 13, 2009 10:51 AM PDT
Thats Exactly it Jimmy, suprised your the first one to leave this comment. I have had two shuffles, and switched to the sansa clip and will never go back. When will they get all we want in a small "workout" mp3 player.
1. It should be small, but still large enough to use the butins on it
2. It needs an LCD, period!
3. It should have a clip on it.
4. It should be at least 4GB, but why not 16? Memory is cheap these days.
5. Not proprietary in any way
Thats all , is that to much to ask.....
by Seaspray0 March 13, 2009 4:52 PM PDT
@surferstevo. You've described my dream mp3 player. But I'd want the rechargable battery to last 20 or more hours.
by iPhoneUser March 13, 2009 10:46 AM PDT
Personally, I think Apple's testing the market with the voice technology in the Shuffle to gauge acceptance for applications into future iPhone/OSX updates. Everything else they did (shrinking the packaging and adding more storage) was a complete slamdunk for their R&D and manufacturing groups. Sales of an $80 device will not make or break your profit margins so why not throw something out there that's different than everything else and see what people think about it before implementing it into a major rollout of iPhone OS or OSX? I just hope they don't incorporate the stupid proprietary earbuds into future hardware they sell.
Reply to this comment
by atomD21 March 16, 2009 5:41 AM PDT
you know that if millions of people pick this thing up then proprietary earbuds are next up for the ipod line. Yeah, they might add the voice tech, but the real "killer app" is forcing everyone to own apple ibuds only.
by 4dthinker March 13, 2009 10:48 AM PDT
One word: iGreed.
Reply to this comment
by iPhoneUser March 13, 2009 10:51 AM PDT
two words: profit margins.

two more words: business savy.
by klh2000 March 13, 2009 11:36 AM PDT
Funny that CNET PC fanboys always call Apple stuff iGreed. Jealous or something.

I see it as having the balls to build something that isn't mainstream. Its different. Do all things work. Heck no, but I don't think Apple is going to stop trying. And yea, sometimes you have to pay more for it. That's why you have a choice. So if your so into a screen then buy a nano or that Microsoft Zune thing. If you need a clip buy the 2G shuffle or that Sansa thing.
by Seaspray0 March 13, 2009 4:54 PM PDT
@klh2000. The new nano is making the "Microsoft Zune thing" look pretty good right now.
by Zippy-T-Pinhead March 13, 2009 10:55 AM PDT
I bought one and it is exactly what I need. I've had a 2d-gen Shuffle for a few years so I love the size and I've had an iPhone since day one, so I love inline controls. My problem with my current Shuffle, is that I need to clip it where I can access it, make sure it's clipped in the direction where I can effortlessly skip songs and adjust the volume when I'm mobile. Hey, not a big deal, but now I don't need to worry whether it's clipped on where I can reach it - hell, I can just toss it in my pocket or clip it wherever. Because now, I can do all my controlling on the headphones - like I do with my iPhone (just wish the iPhone headphones could control volume like this does).

Plus, since I'm color-blind, I never had a clue when my battery was wearing down on my 2d-gen Shuffle because I can't see the difference bewtween the red, yellow or green tiny indicator light. Now I don't have to. My new Shuffle will talk to me and tell me where my battery level is.

Oh, and I could care less about the other voice features. I don't have playlists and I pretty much know the artist and title of every song I downloaded. Um, that's because I downloaded them.
Reply to this comment
by klh2000 March 13, 2009 11:38 AM PDT
Alright. Another happy customer.
by execulive777 March 13, 2009 11:18 AM PDT
What is so frustrating is people who want to know for sure it is an Apple, because there are so many white headphones now. The shuffle is so small they have to get so close to make sure it is an Apple. Like you know you are too close when you can tell it is a Shuffle
Reply to this comment
by cuchanu March 13, 2009 11:21 AM PDT
I'm going to side with Apple on this one. Yes, it wasn't a very good decision, BUT there are plenty of people who are fine with the built in headphones. For those that aren't; buy something else. End of story.
Reply to this comment
by BOTNET March 13, 2009 11:22 AM PDT
good point about the tax ;-)

new shuffle $50
Apple Logo $30
--------------------------------
$80


Apple logo was cool few years ago, but I kinda feel I don't want to get Apple products just because everybody has iPhone on the train .... I don't think it's cool anymore. Am I wrong?
Reply to this comment
by klh2000 March 13, 2009 11:43 AM PDT
Your wrong.

Your comment should be telling you something. "Everybody has iPhone on the train". What, you don't like cool?
by jfrdricks2009 March 13, 2009 11:56 AM PDT
Apple- equals cool. Zune and every one else's mp3 players- NOT COOL. Understand?
by BOTNET March 13, 2009 12:57 PM PDT
I was using sony mp3 player and now I get why everybody was looking at me so weird. Thank you !! I shall buy iPhone today !! We all have to join the same camp.

oh, of course I will use white Apple headset
by rastard March 13, 2009 12:59 PM PDT
@klh2000 BOTNET's point, that you fail to grasp, is that once all the lemmings have piled on to try to get in on the latest xxx, that xxx loses it's hipness and exclusivity. The iPhone reached that point late last year.

Apple will continue to sell products in droves, but future sales will be driven forward by the Walmart crowd, and people who think they know cool, but really don't have a clue. That you actually think iPhones are still cool speaks more about you than it does about the iPhone...
by Seaspray0 March 13, 2009 5:05 PM PDT
"Apple- equals cool. Zune and every one else's mp3 players- NOT COOL. Understand?"

Wrong! Inovation is cool. Fresh styling is cool. The latest fashion is cool. But a particular brand label DOES NOT DECIDE COOL. Because if it did, you would be wearing the same clothes your parents did at your age. Understand?
by BOTNET March 13, 2009 6:04 PM PDT
if I can add to Seaspray0's comment ... non-uniformity is cool.... . With 15 people around me with iPods, iShuffles and iPhones scrooling up and down the same 30 songs (believe me I have plenty of time on a bus every morning) and white shiny logo on laptops in the coffee shops (for how many years they have the same dam shiny white logo ? ) I just don't see Apple being that cool hip company anymore.

you what iShuffle reminds me? Have you seen this? http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary
by ckilner March 13, 2009 11:23 AM PDT
I didn't buy a Cube when they came out because I didn't value the small size enough to pay the price... but I own one today, running Leopard just fine... but the fan that accompanied the CPU upgrade spoiled the silence...
Comparing the new 3G Shuffle to the 2G, it is 100% smaller, has 100% more storage at the same price, has better ergonomics with the remote (controls stay is same, easily accessed position, unlike the clipped on 2G), has an audio interface (the 2G has no interface), and can use playlists (unlike the 2G). The negative is 2hrs less battery and no use of regular earphones... which will be solved with a remote dongle with so-so ergonomics... or new earphones with great ergonomics.
Apple's Shuffle has always been an evolution of their remotes. The original iPod remote that came with the early iPods had 6 buttons - for the 1G Shuffle, Apple put the six buttons in the wheel configuration, which was used on the smaller Apple Radio Remote - which the 2G looks almost identical to. Apple more recently has supplied the 3 button remotes on the earphones, and now that is where the 3G Shuffle has put them.
Of course, I have no reason to whine... Apple buds and in-ear earphones fit me fine, the buds from my 5+ year old 3G iPod still work fine (my Ultimate Ears died in 1 month), and I just picked up a $29 refurb 2G Shuffle that I love... and yes, the poll is stupid.
Reply to this comment
by jss7744 March 13, 2009 12:19 PM PDT
If it were 100% smaller it would be non-existent.
by iMaZx March 13, 2009 11:27 AM PDT
New iPod shuffle=Fail!
Reply to this comment
by jfrdricks2009 March 13, 2009 11:55 AM PDT
Ok. Would you rather have a ZUNE which is MEGA FAIL?
by celticbrewer March 13, 2009 12:29 PM PDT
actually abd most honestly, yeah. I'd rather have the zune.
by Seaspray0 March 13, 2009 5:09 PM PDT
I'll give credit for all the other model ipods. But for this particular one... the new ipod shuffle... I'd rather have the zune.
by rapier1 March 16, 2009 9:13 AM PDT
Have you tried the Zune? Probably not. So you're like all the people who complain about Macs without ever having actually used one. Smooth.
by mnsGNV March 13, 2009 11:28 AM PDT
There are adapter coming out so you can use any headphones you like so why don't they mention that in the story?

Don't buy it. But a zune or whatever you want.

I happen to like the new Shuffle and even though I have an I-Touch I will probably get one of these for working out in the gym and running.
Reply to this comment
by ZetaZeta_ March 13, 2009 11:28 AM PDT
I think the new shuffle is awesome. I wish it was smaller, though. Maybe just build it right into a set of earbuds.
Reply to this comment
by jfrdricks2009 March 13, 2009 11:55 AM PDT
Where would you store the music?
by ZetaZeta_ July 30, 2009 1:46 PM PDT
In the device on a MicroSD slot, or a tiny amount of flash memory using MicroUSB.
by mnsGNV March 13, 2009 11:30 AM PDT
There are adapters coming out so you can use any headphones you like so why don't they mention that in the story?

Don't buy it. But a zune or whatever you want.

I happen to like the new Shuffle and even though I have an I-Touch I will probably get one of these for working out in the gym and running.
Reply to this comment
by nolocontendre March 13, 2009 11:33 AM PDT
Are you kidding? The new shuffle is perfect for its intended use-that is to listen to music while you're exercising, and it beats the old shuffle because you can actually create playlists and select them using the talk button. You guys are dinosaurs. Plus it fits 4 GB memory into something that's the size of a tie clip. Lose it? Won't the 3 ft long white headphone cord give it away? I will definitely buy one of these even though I have an iPod nano, which by the way you can not control very effectively while you're on the elliptical. The shuffle will solve that little problem. Get real! Apple scores again!!!!
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